Drive circuit for output pull-down transistor

ABSTRACT

A circuit for clamping the base of an output pull-down transistor includes a clamp transistor connecting the base of the pull-down transistor to a ground node and a drive circuit for rapidly turning on the clamp transistor in response to a high-to-low transition on an input node. The drive circuit includes a string of Schottky diodes connecting the base of the clamp transistor to the collector of a transistor whose base is responsive to the voltage on the input node.

The present invention generally pertains to fast operating bipolar logic circuits and has for principal object the provision of an improved output circuit for an integrated circuit device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a prior art circuit; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic of the inventive circuit.

With reference to FIG. 1, a conventional output circuit for an integrated circuit device is denoted generally by reference numeral 10. The circuit 10 is connected between an input node 12 and an output node 14. The input node 12 forms the cathode of a Schottky diode D₁. The output node 14 is connected to a logic bus 15 which interconnects other integrated circuit devices. A 3-state control node 16 provides another input to the circuit 10. Node 16 is coupled by an inverter 18 to node 20 which forms the common cathode connection of Schottky diodes D₂ and D₃. The output node 14 is connected to a low voltage source node 22 by a pull-down Schottky-clamped transistor Q₅. The transistor Q₅ is typically very large in size in order to be able to rapidly discharge the logic bus 15. A high voltage source denoted V_(cc) at node 24 is connected to the output node 14 through transistor Q₃. The base drive to transistor Q₅ is controlled by Schottky-clamped transistors Q₁ and Q₄. The base of Q.sub. 5 and the emitter of Q₁ are connected in common at node 26. The base and collector of Q₄ are connected to node 26 via resistors R₃ and R₄, respectively. The emitters of Q₄ and Q₅ are connected in common at node 22. The base drive to transistor Q₃ is controlled by Schottky-clamped transistor Q₂, the collector of which is connected in common with the collector of transistor Q₃ at node 24. The emitter of Q₂ and base of Q₃ form a common node 28 which is connected to node 22 via resistor R₅. The base Q₂ and collector of Q₁ form a common node 30 which is connected to node 24 via resistor R₂ and to node 20 via diode D₂. The base of transistor Q₁ and the anodes of diodes D₁ and D₃ form a common node 32 which is connected to node 24 via resistor R₁.

In operation, the output node 14 is held low when transistor Q₅ is turned on by current supplied by transistor Q₁. Resistors R₃ and R₄ and transistor Q₄ constitute a conventional active turn-off circuit which sinks current from node 26 turning off Q₅ and Q₁ is off. However, with Q₁ on, sufficient current is supplied to node 26 to drive Q₅ on. A high logic level at input node 12 and a low logic level at the 3-state input 16 keeps Q₁ on, which in turn draws current from node 30 keeping Q₂ and Q₃ off. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a high logic level at 3-state input 16 causes both Q₁ and Q₂ to turn off which in turn causes Q₃ and Q₅ to turn off, thus isolating the circuit 10 from the bus 15. Assuming, however, that node 16 remains low, a high to low transition at input node 12 causes Q₁ to turn off and then, after a delay, Q₅ turns off.

A significant problem associated with the delay in turning off Q₅ is that Q₃ starts to turn on before Q₅ is off. It will appreciated that a very low impedance is presented between nodes 24 and 22 when both Q₃ and Q₅ are in the conducting state. As an undesirable consequence, a power supply current spike occurs. The problem becomes more serious at higher frequencies, thus limiting the maximum operating frequency of the circuit.

An additional problem occurs when the circuit 10 is disabled by a high logic signal at the 3-state input 16. Under this condition, both Q₃ and Q₅ should be off in order to isolate the circuit 10 from the logic bus 15. However, a fast rising pulse edge on the bus 15 can be capacitively coupled to the base of Q₅ so as to cause Q₅ to turn on briefly with the possibility of conveying a false signal on the bus 15.

Now referring to FIG. 2, a circuit 100 embodying the present invention will be described. Elements in the inventive circuit 100 that function like elements in the prior art circuit 10 labeled with the same reference characters.

In circuit 100, the base drive for transistor Q₅ is controlled by Schottky-clamped transistors Q₁ and Q₇. The base drive for Q₁ is supplied by Schottky-clamp transistor Q₆. The base of Q₇ is connected to ground node 122 via resistor R₈ and to the collector of Q₆ via a series of three Schottky diodes D₄, D₅ and D₆. The high voltage source node 124 is connected to the collector of Q₆ via resistor R₆ and to the base of Q₆ via resistor R₁. The base of Q₆ is connected by a Schottky diode D₇ to node 120, which is the output of inverter 118. Resistor R₇ connects the emitter of Q₆ to ground node 122.

When the 3-state input 116 is at a low logic level, the circuit 100 operates as follows. A high logic level at input node 112 is conveyed via D₁ to the base of Q₆, turning on Q₆. When Q₆ turns on, Q₁ turns on and Q₇ turns off, causing Q₅ to turn on. When Q₁ turns on, it diverts base drive from Q₂ which turns off. Also, with Q₂ off, the base of Q₃ is discharged through R₅ turning off Q₃. This enables Q₅ to pull down the ouput node 114 and the logic bus 115 connected thereto.

When Q₇ is off, a small bias current flows from the collecter of Q₆ through diodes D₄, D₅ and D₆ and resistor R₈ to provide a voltage across R₈. Using conventional manufacturing techniques, the characteristics of the circuit elements are selected so that the voltage on the base of Q₇ preferably will be maintained at about 400 mv or slightly less than the V_(BE) required to turn on Q₇. The difference between the voltage on the collector of Q₆ and the voltage on the base of Q₇ is equal to the sum of the forward voltage drops across D₄, D₅ and D₆. This voltage differential remains substantially constant since D₄, D₅ and D₆ remain forward biased whether Q₆ is on or off. Each of the three diodes has a forward voltage drop of about 0.5 volts. It will be appreciated that Schottky diodes have negligible capacitances particularly while operating in the forward conducting state. Thus, when Q₆ changes state, the voltage swing on its collector appears essentially contemporaneously at the base of Q₇. The voltage swing is preferably about 400 mv going from a level when Q₆ is off equal to the sum of the voltage drops across D₄, D₅ and D₆ and the V_(BE) of Q₇ to a level when Q₆ is on equal to the sum of the V_(CE) of Q₆ plus the V_(BE) of Q₁ plus the V_(BE) of Q₅.

Now, assuming that a high-to-low transition occurs at input node 112, the circuit 100 responds as follows. Transistor Q₆ switches from on to off causing the voltage on the base of Q₇ to rise with the rising voltage on the collector of Q₆. It will be appreciated that Q₇ turns on rapidly while Q₁ is being turned off as its base is discharged through R₇. This permits the base of Q₅ to be pulled down fast via the low impedance provided by Q₇, thus turning off Q₅ before Q₃ turns on. The response of Q₃ must await Q₁ turning off and the charging of the base of Q₂ through resistor R₂ in order to turn on Q₂.

The circuit 100 eliminates the power supply current spikes mentioned above in connection with the prior-art circuit 10 because Q₅ is turned off very quickly by Q₇ prior to Q₃ turning on. Transistor Q₇ turns on very quickly because its base is held at about 400 mv while Q₆ is on and then rises quickly with the collector of Q₆ as Q₆ turns off.

An additional advantage of the circuit 100 is in its superior operation in the so-called high impedance mode when a high logic level is received at 3- state input 116. When this occurs, node 120 is pulled low causing the bases of transistors Q₂ and Q₁ to be discharged through diodes D₂ and D₃, respectively. This causes transistors Q₂ and Q₁ to turn off. Diodes D₇ and D₃ set the voltage across the base-emitter junction of transistor Q₆ to approximately zero volts. This causes transistor Q₆ to turn off. With Q₂ off, transistor Q₃ turns off for lack of base drive. The base of Q₇ rises following the collector of Q₆ causing Q₇ to turn on and Q₅ to turn off. Because Q₇ provides a very low impedance path from node 126 to ground node 122, any charge capacitively coupled from the logic bus 115 through the collector-base junction of Q₅ onto node 126 is quickly discharged to ground. This prevents Q₅ from inadvertently turning on due to fast rising edges appearing on bus 115, thus eliminating a potential problem exhibited in the prior-art circuit 10.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention overcomes significant problems that have persisted in prior-art circuits. Although a preferred embodiment has been described in detail, it will be understood that various modifications and adaptations thereof are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An integrated circuit comprising:a first transistor having its collector connected to an output node and its emitter connected to a low voltage source; a second transistor having its emitter connected to the output node and its collector connected to a high voltage source; a third transistor having its collector connected to the base of the first transistor and its emitter connected to the low voltage source; a fourth transistor having its emitter connected to the base of the first transistor for driving the first transistor; a fifth transistor having its emitter connected to the base of the fourth transistor; means connected to the base of the second transistor for driving the second transistor in response to the fourth transistor to turn off the second transistor when the first transistor is on; means connected between the base of the third transistor and the collector of the fifth transistor for driving the third transistor and for maintaining a voltage level on the base of the third transistor equal to the voltage on the collector of the fifth transistor less a substantially constant voltage; and means connected to the base and emitter of the fifth transistor and to the base of the second transistor for maintaining both the first and second transistors off in response to a high logic level of a 3-state input signal; the base of the fifth transistor being responsive, when the 3-state input signal is in a low state, to an input signal of a first logic level to cause the fourth transistor to drive the first transistor on while the third transistor driving means holds the third transistor off, and to an input signal of a second logic level to cause the third transistor driving means to drive the third transistor on to discharge the base of the first transistor to hold the first transistor off.
 2. The output circuit of claim 1 wherein the third transistor driving means includes at least one Schottky diode connected between the collector of the fifth transistor and the base of the third transistor.
 3. The output circuit of claim 1 wherein the third transistor driving means includes a string of Schottky diodes connected between the collector of the fifth transistor and the base of the third transistor.
 4. The output circuit of claim 3 wherein the third transistor driving means further includes a resistor connecting the base of the third transistor to the low voltage source. 